Erongo

Swakopmund • [email protected]


Usakos-based artist Ernst Rohe opened an exhibition featuring 100 of his watercolour artworks and one lithocraft piece this weekend.

Originally he planned to feature 200 pieces, however only 160 pieces made it to Swakopmund to be exhibited in the Woermannhaus Art Gallery.

At the time of the exhibition’s opening, 100 pieces were on display but since one piece has already sold, it will be replaced with any of the remaining 60.

Rohe has been an artist all his life. However, he started watercolour painting in 2000 when he relocated from South Africa to Usakos to take care of his mother. Iit was a former dean at University of Stellenbosch who taught Rohe the art of watercolour painting.

His works are not only available at the Woermannhaus Gallery and his Usakos studio, he also recently began dabbling in the online trade of art. “I think online sales are the next step,” he says.

Despite his modern approach to selling his work, Rohe’s hope for modern artists dwindles. “The biggest problem is that schools don’t teach art anymore. Art doesn’t just teach you how to do art, it teaches you how to create solutions.”

He opines that not only the art industry, but specifically wildlife artists are affected. “We in Namibia have such incredible animals and landscapes, but there are only a few landscape artists around.”

His advice to young artists is to remain one step ahead. “Everybody has been demotivated due to the Covid-19 pandemic. I say that one must use this time to paint,” he says.